Coin-collector for telephone toll-lines.



Patented July 2, MIL

c. E. scmgmz'n. COIN COLLECTOR FOR TELEPHONE TOLL LINES.

(Appligation filed Nov. 30, 1900.) (No Model.) 1 3 Sheets-Sheet l.

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No. 677,807. Patented July 2, l90l.

C. E. SCRIBNER. COIN COLLECTOR FOB TELEPHONE TOLL LINES.

(Application filed Nov. 30, 1900.) (No Model.) 3 Shee is-Sheet 2.

No; 671,807. Patented July 2, mm.

c. E. scmsman.

CUIN COLLECTOR FUR TELEPHONE TOLL LINES.

(Application filed Nov. 30, 1900.) (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

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kart- I tflzfoilwey THE mums PETERS no; mo'muma. WASHINGTON. 0. c.

U IT D STATES.

PATENT ()FFICE.

CHARLES E. s EIBNER, or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, Ass 'CNoR TO THE WESTERNELECTRIC COMPANY, or SAME PLACE.

COIN-COLLECTOR FOR TELEPHONE TOLL-LINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 677,807, dated July 2,1901. Application tiled November 30, 1900. Serial No. 38,101. (Nomodel.)

To (all whom, it nuty concern:

- Be it known that I, OI ARLEs E. SCRIBNER,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Ohicago, in the county ofCook and State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and usefulImprovement in Coin Collectors for Telephone Toll-Lines, (Case No. 491,)of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description.

Myinvention relates to a telephone-toll-line system; and its object isto provide means whereby the use of blanks or slugs instead of money maybe detected and prevented.

A frequent cause of loss to telephone companies operating toll-linesystems, wherein the subscriber is required to deposit a coin in thetoll-box before using the telephone, has been the fraudulent use of ironslngsusually boiler-punchings-to operate the toll-collect- 2o ingapparatus. In accordance with my invention means are provided whereby aniron blank deposited in place of a coin in the coinreceiving apparatusat the substation will antomatically Cause the transmission ofa sig- 225nal to the central ofiice. The operator upon perceiving this signal willtell the telephonenser to take out the slug and putin a good coin, andmay refuse to make the desired connection until her request has beencomplied with.

immediately to detect the use of an iron slug in place of a coin and towarn the person perpetrating the fraud, Considerable loss to thetelephone company is saved, not only by the rejection of iron slugs, butalso because of the tendency which the discovery of such an act has todiscourage other attempts.

Generally speaking, my invention consists of a toll-collecting applianceat the substation adapted to receive coinsand an electromagnetic signalapparatus associated with said toll-collecting appliance adapted to beactuated by an iron blank, said signal apparatus being connected withthe telephoneline and adapted ,when actuated by the pres ence of an ironblank to change the electrical condition of the telephone-line and totransmit a signal of distinctive character over the line, the operatorat the central office being If the telephone-operator is enabledprovided with a signal-receiving appliance responsive to such signal.

I will describe my invention more particularly by reference to theaccompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a sectional plan view of atollbox provided with the slug-detecting apparatus of my invention. Fig.2 is a vertical sectional view on line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is asimilar view showing an alternative position of the parts; and Fig. 4 isa diagram illustrating, by means of conventional symbols, a telephonetoll-line extending from a substation to a central office, together witha portion of the central-office apparatus, the system being equippedwith the detective signal apparatus of myinvention.

Similar letters of reference are used to desig -nate the same partswherever they are shown.

Referring first to Figs. 1 and 2, the sliding coin-receiver Ct is madeof two plates a a joined together in front by a non-magnetic yoke a thetwo plates being mounted paral lel to one another and separated asufficient distance to allow a coin to be placed between them.Thecoin-receiver is adapted to slide to and fro in the frame I) of thetoll-box and is provided upon its outer end with a thumb piece a bywhich it may be pushed. A plunger a is associated with thecoin-receiver, said plunger being adapted to slide to and fro in theframework b of the toll-box. The coinreceiver and plunger telescope withone another, the forward end of the plunger being adapted to slide toand fro between the plates a a of the coin-receiver. A strip f ofconducting material is mountedupon but insulated from the framework ofthe toll-box immediately below the opening in the coin-receiver when thelatter is in its outer position, so that a coin placed in the slotbetween the plates a, 01, of the coin-receiver will rest upon saidstrip. An electricalconnection may thus be established between the stripand the metallic coin-receiver, these two parts being otherwiseinsulated from one another. A compression-spring g, surrounding theplunger a and pressing against the inner end of the coinreceiver, tendsto keep the latter in its outer net is sufliciently strong.

normally rests in engagement with a relaythe circuits through suchapparatus.

position, as illustrated in Fig. 1. A spring 9, fastened to the plungera pulls the plunger in the same direction. A contact-spring t is mountedupon the framework 1) and is adapted to be engaged by the inner end ofthe plunger a when said plunger is pushed clear in. If nocoin is placedin the coin-receiver, said receiver may be pushed in without causing anymovement of the plunger, merely sliding along the plunger andtelescoping therewith; but when a coin is in place, after thecoin-receiver is moved in a short distance, carrying the coin with it,the edge of the coin strikes the outer end of the plunger a and uponfurther movement in the said direction the plunger and coin-receiver aremoved together. After the coin-receiver has been pushed in as far as itwill gotha t is, until the coin has passed beyond the edge of the stripf-the coin is struck by the end of the spring g which is -mounted uponthe framework of the toll-box ,and presses down upon the upper edge ofthe coin-receiver. The coin is thus forced free from its engagement withthe plunger (0 and falls, through the chute 71,, into the cash-box h.The plunger a immediately snaps back within the coin-receiver, impelledby the spring g. An electromagnet c is mounted upon the framework of thetoll-box and is provided with core-pieces c 0, about which themagnctizing-helices c c are wound. Pole-pieces or rear core extensions 0c are formed upon the ends of the cores 0 c, as seen in Fig. 1, and thecoin-receiver is mounted to slide between them, the plates at a of thecoin-receiver forming extensions of said pole-pieces.

.In other words, the rear core extensions and the coin-receiver mountedbetween them form a heel-piece for said magnet, the magnetic circuitthrough the said heel-piece being broken by the gap between the plates aa The presence of a piece of ironsuch as an iron coin-blank, disk, orslug-in place of a coin in the receiver will close the gap in themagnetic circuit between the pole-pieces c 0 An armature d is pivoted atd d to the framework I), said amature being mounted in front of the endsof the core-pieces c c and being adapted to be drawn up to saidcore-pieces when the attractive force exerted by the mag- The armaturecl contact 6, a spring g serving to yieldingly maintain the armature inthis position.

Referring to Fig. 4, the telephone-line, which extends from thesubstation A to the central office B, comprises limbs 1 2, between whichthe usual telephone talking and signalreceiving apparatus is connectedin a bridge of the line at the substation, a telephone switch-hook beingprovided for controlling The limb 2 of the telephone-line is connectedWilli a branch conductor 5, which leads to ground by way of thetoll-collecting appliance and includes the windings c c of the magnet a.

rectly to ground. The plunger a is always in electrical connection withthe framework of the machine and is adapted when pushed clear into makeengagement with the contactspring 11, which is grounded. It will beunderstood, therefore, that when the plunger is pushed in to throw thecoin into the cash-box the coils c c of the magnet 0 will beshortcircuited, and the limb 2 of the telephoneline will be directlygrounded by way of the plunger a and contact-spring '5.

At the central-office switchboard the limbs 1 2 of the telephone-lineterminate in linesprings 71", 70 respectively, of a spring-jack 71:.

The limb 1 of the telephone-line is connected to ground at the centraloffice through the line-relay Z and line-signal battery Z by way of thearmature m and back contact m of the cut-off relay m. The helix of thecut-off relay is included in a grounded branch from the third contact ortest-ring k of the springjack k. A line-signal lamp Z is included,together with a source of current Z, in a local circuit controlled bythe armature of the linerelay Z, so that when said relay is energizedthe local circnitwill be closed and the lamp Z lighted.

The centralbfiice operator is provided with the usual pair of plugs andtheir cord-circuit for making connection with the spring-jacks oftelephone-lines terminating at the switchboard. A centralized battery itis connected in a bridge across the tip and sleeve strands a?) 4 of thecord-circuit between the windings of an induction-coil in the usualmanner. The side of the battery which is connected with the tip-strand 3is grounded, and the opposite pole of the battery is connected,throughthe supervisory signal-lamp and its shunt, with the third contact 0 ofthe plug 0. The operator is provided with the usual telephoneset i and alistening-key g for connecting the same in a bridge of the line.

A relay p of high resistance-say live hundred ohmsand sufficientimpedance to prevent the passage of telephonic voice-currents throughthe same is serially included in the tip-strand 3 of the plug-circuitbetween the battery it and the tip 0' of the plug 0. Two short circuitsare provided for said relay, whereby the same may be cut out of thetalking-circuit, one of said short circuits being controlled byswitch-contacts actuated by the operators listening-key q and the othershort circuit controlled by an armature-lever p prived of current.

and back contact 19 of the relay itself. A plunger r is provided wherebythe operator may set the armature p, so that it will be held by therelay-magnetnntil the magnet is de- The operation of the system may bedescribed as follows: hen a person at substation A desires to use histelephone, he first inserts a coin in the coin-receiver (1, whereby thecircuit of the branch 5 is completed from the telephone-line, and thenceto ground by way of the branch circuit 5. The line'relay Z is thusenergized and attracts its armature, closing the local circuit whichincludes the line signal lamp Z .whereby the latter is lighted,indicating to the central-office operator that a connection is desired.The operator observing the signal inserts her answering plug o in thespring-jack 7c and, depressing her listening-key q, inquires of theperson at substation A the number of the subscriber wanted. Thedepression of her listening-key, as before explained, serves to closethe short circuit around the relay 1), so that the telephonicvoice-currents are not obliged to pass through the said relay. Currentfrom the centralized battery it of the operators cord-circuit flows fromthe ground at the central oflice to the limb 2 of the telephone-line byway of. the sleeve-strand 4 of the cord-circuit and over the branchconductor 5 at the substation to ground through the coils c c of themagnet c. It instead of putting a coin in the coin-receiver a the personattemping to use the telephone has inserted an iron blank or slug, thecircuit of the branch 5 will be completed to ground and a signal will betransmitted, as above described; but the iron body between the plates aa of the coin-receiver will serve tolower the re sistance of themagnetic field of the magnet 0, closing the gap in the magnetic circuitbetween the pole pieces a 0 thereof and increasing the attractive forceof the magnet.

Ordinarily the effect of the current from bat tery n flowing through thehelices c c of the magnet 0 will not be sufficient to cause said magnetto attract its armature d; but if the resistance of the magnetic-circuitof said magnet be decreased by the presence of an iron body between theplates a a the attractive force of the magnet exerted upon the armaturecl will be materially increased, the tension of the spring g will beovercome, and the armature will move toward the pole-pieces c c,breaking its engagement with the sleevecontact 6. The circuit throughthe branch 5 will thus be interrupted and the magnet 0 deenergized, sothat the relay-armature will fall back again against the contact 6,establishing the circuit once more, whereupon the armature will again beattracted. The efiect, in other words, will be the same as if anordinary vibrator or interrupter were included in the circuit. The rapidinterruption of the circuit thus produced will cause a rattle in theoperators telephone-receiver, thus notifying her that the person atstation A has transmitted his signal by illegitimate means and has notdeposited a proper coin in the coin-receiver. The operator will thenwarn the telephone user of her discovery of the attempted fraud andinsist upon the slug being taken out and a proper coin substitutedbefore completing the connection. able coin is inserted in thecoin-receiver, no

efiect will be produced upon the magnet 0,

If a suit deposition of iron coin blanks, disks, or slugs. I Theoperator after completing the connec- 1 tion to the called subscribersline by means of the other plug of the pair tells the person I atsubstation A to push in on the thumb-piece a to deposit the coin in thecash-box and then releases'her listening-key, thus removing the shortcircuit around the relayp, controlled by the said key, and leaving saidrelay in series in the talking-circuit. She then depresses her plunger1", setting thearmature 19 of the relay 19, said armature being held upby the relay-magnet. The high-impedance relay is thus maintained inseries in the talking-circuit until the plunger a at the substation hasbeen pushed clear in to en gage with the contact-spring t'. Vhen thesubscriber pushes in on his thumb-piece 0.,if

a coin is in the coin-receiver the plunger a will be forced in, asbefore explained, until it makes engagement with the contact-spring t',after which the coin will be struck by the spring g and thrown into thecash-box. As

soon as the connection is established between The establishment of thispath'to of the relay to permit the passage of telephonic currents. Asthe coin is thrown into the cash-box at the substation the plunger abeing released breaks the engagement with the grounded contactt' andrestablishes the former circuit conditions.

If the subscriber at substation A has removed the coin from thecoin-receiver before pushing it in, the coin-receiver will simpriatecoins, but responsive to, and actuated by the deposition of iron coinblanks, disks, or slugs; substantially as set forth.

2. The combination with a telephone tollline extending from asubstationto a central oflice, of a toll-collector at the substation for receivingcoins, an electromagnetic signaltransmitting device connected with thetelephone-line at the substation, in association with thetoll-collector, said signal-transmitting device being unaifected bynon-magnetic coins, but being adapted to be actuated by an iron coinblank or slug, to transmit a signal over the telephone-line, and asignal-receiving appliance tconnected with the line at the centraloffice, responsive to such signal, whereby the use of iron blanksinstead of coins in the toll-collector may be detected by thecentral-office operator, as set forth.

3. The combination with a coin-receiver a comprising a pair of plates ata insulated magnetically from one another and separated to receive acoin between them, of an electromagnet 0 having rear core extensionsbetween which said coin-receiver is mounted, said extensions forming aheel-piece for said magnet having a normal magnetic gap adapted to beclosed on the deposition of an iron coin-blank, an electric circuitincluding the winding of said electromagnet, including a source ofcurrent and a signal-receiving instrument t, a relay-armature for themagnet and switch-contacts operated thereby controlling said circuit,said armature being normally irresponsive to the magnet, but beingresponsive to the increased attractive force thereof when the magneticgap in the heel-piece of the magnet is closed by an iron coin blank orslug; whereby the deposition of an iron blank instead of coin in thecoinreceiver causes the transmission of a signal, as set forth. I

circuit for the telephone-line, switching mechanism adapted to beactuated by a coin in the coin-receiver for controlling said callsignalcircuit, an armature for the said electromagnet o, normally inert butadapted to be drawn up when the attractive force of the magnet isincreased by the closing of the ma netic gap in the heel-piece of saidmagnet, a signal-transmitting device controlled by said relay-armature,and a signal-receiving appli= I ance at the central office responsive tothe characteristic signal transmitted thereby, substantially as setforth.

5. The combination with a telephone tollline extending from a substationtoacentral ofiice, of an operators telephone instrument at the centraloifice and means for connecting the same with the line, a toll-collectorat the substation for receiving coins, and an electromagneticsignal-transmitting device at the substation connected with thetelephone-line, in association with said tollcollector, saidsignal-transmitting device being unaffected by non-magnetic coins, butbeing adapted to be actuated by iron coin-blanks used in place of coins,said signal-transmitter being adapt ed when actuated to change theelectrical condition of the line, whereby a signal is produced in thetelephone-receiver which may be perceived by the operator, substantiallyas set forth.

6. The combination with a telephone tollline and a coin-collectingappliance at the station thereof having a socket or channel for thereception of the coin, of a magnet having its magnetic field directedupon said channel or socket, whereby the resistance of the magneticcircuit is reduced by a token or mass of magnetic material in thechannel or socket, a magnetically-operated switch responsive toincreased magnetization of said magnet, and an electric signal-circuitcontrolled by-said switch at the substation containing asignalindicating device at the central office, substantially asdescribed.

7. The combination with a telephone-line and a coin-collecting applianceat the station thereof, a calling-circuit and a switch of the saidcoin-collecting appliance operated with the aid of a deposited coincontrolling said signaling-circuit, said coin-collecting appliancehaving a socket or channel for the deposit of a coin, of a magnet and anarmature therefor adapted to remain unattraoted by appliance at thecentral offioe controlled by the normal field of said magnet, the fieldof said switch of the armature, as described. IO said magnet beingdirected upon said channel In witness whereof I hereunto subscribe my orsocket, whereby the field of the magnet is name this 16th day ofNovember, A. D. 1900.

increased and the armature is attracted when CHARLES E. SGRIBNER. a massof iron is placed in the socket or chan- WVitnesses:

nel, a switch controlled by said armature, and ELLA EDLER,

a signal-circuit containinga signal-indicating l DUNCAN E. WVILLETT.

